The main problem with the Legend of Zelda is that its puzzles often seem arbitrary and completely obscure. Having to bomb multiple walls for which you are given no clues and which show no difference to any other wall in the game is just moronic. There are obscure puzzles which can be solved by paying attention to the hints the game gives you and keeping some sort of notepad/map combo going, but some of the things which the game requires you to do to progress seem impossible to just intuit in the way the game seems to want from you. When it works though, which is around 70-80% of the time, it’s very satisfying and unique for its time. The combat is actually some of the most demanding and interesting in the series that would follow, but can be finicky when you feel let down by the games 4-way directional movement and seemingly random behaviour of most enemies. The game has bright and colourful graphics with well-defined sprites, though the sound, iconic as it may be, can get extremely repetitive with there only being 2 real musical tracks in the game, which are both on quite a short loop. The frustration of the completely illogical puzzles which require either dumb luck through time-wasting experimentation or some sort of FAQ, mixed with the awkwardness of some of the later-game combat show Zelda’s age. It’s still playable, and often enjoyable, but the rough patches are pretty much inexcusable nearly 30 years on.
